Ted Cruz is the most dangerous man in Washington… to GOP chances of winning back the Senate in 2014 and the White House in 2016.

For Democrats, Ted Cruz is the goose that keeps laying golden eggs over and over and over.

Cruz, a Republican Senator from Texas, and a Tea Party leader, is really single-handedly responsible for inspiring the US House’s Tea Party fringe to close the government and then attempt to default on the national debt. Only to have the entire thing go down in flames, and the Senate to vote 81 to 18, and the House 285 to 144, to re-open the government and raise the debt ceiling.

As a result of Cruz’s two-week temper tantrum, the American people may hate Republicans as much as they did when George Bush left office, which was quite a lot. According to the latest polls released today, Ted Cruz’s little shutdown drama just made it harder – much harder – for Republicans to win the Senate in 2014.

New PPP polls of 6 key Senate races that will determine control of the body after next year’s election finds voters extremely unhappy about the government shutdown. As a result Republicans trail in 5 of the 6 key races and are tied in the 6th. Republicans need to win 6 seats to take control of the Senate.

We find voters strongly opposed to the shutdown in every state we polled, even though most of them voted for Mitt Romney last year.

In one case anger over the shutdown is helping to put a Republican held seat on the table:…

These polls make it clear that across the country, whether a state voted for Obama by 10 points or voted for Romney by 20, voters are extremely angry about the government shutdown. And it’s going to make Republican hopes of taking back the Senate next year that much harder.

The Tea Party is less popular than ever, with even many Republicans now viewing the movement negatively. Overall, nearly half of the public (49%) has an unfavorable opinion of the Tea Party, while 30% have a favorable opinion.

The balance of opinion toward the Tea Party has turned more negative since June, when 37% viewed it favorably and 45% had an unfavorable opinion. And the Tea Party’s image is much more negative today than it was three years ago, shortly after it emerged as a conservative protest movement against Barack Obama’s policies on health care and the economy.

In February 2010, when the Tea Party was less well known, the balance of opinion toward the movement was positive (33% favorable vs. 25% unfavorable). Unfavorable opinion spiked to 43% in 2011 after Republicans won a House majority and Tea Party members played a leading role in that summer’s debt ceiling debate.

The Tea Party’s favorability rating has fallen across most groups since June, but the decline has been particularly dramatic among moderate and liberal Republicans. In the current survey, just 27% of moderate and liberal Republicans have a favorable impression of the Tea Party, down from 46% in June.

But don’t let that stop Ted Cruz from hogging every microphone he can since he personally, and his party generally, were humiliated today by getting none of their demands.

They used to say that the most dangerous place in Washington was between a camera and NY Senator Chuck Schumer. Well, that changed today.

But Cruz wasn’t done yet.

Tonight Cruz went to the Senate floor and gave a ten minute tirade about how upset the American people are that the government shutdown is ending, and that we’re not going to default on the national debt and risk sending the country into a depression.

Um, no, in fact every single poll shows that the American people wanted this thing to end, and never wanted the shutdown in the first place.

I’ve got the video of Cruz’s bizarre speech tonight, below, courtesy of Jed Lewison over at Daily Kos. But let’s look at a few of the highlights:

– Cruz claims to be fighting for all the young people coming out of school who can’t get a job because of Obamacare. Huh? Cruz went on to claim that Obamacare was the “#1 job killer” in America. Um, not really. Though Ted Cruz is certainly vying for the position of #1 job killer for GOP presidential aspirations.

– Then Cruz brings up the canard that Obamacare is allegedly forcing employers to cut back hours and drop health care. The fact-checkers say that there simply isn’t enough data to reach any conclusion, plus or minus, at this point. Certainly not the one Cruz is asserting.

– Then Cruz alleges that families are getting “massive premium increases” as a result of Obamacare. He alleged that outright. There is zero proof of that. If anything, premiums increases have been reined in since Obamacare passed, and Obamacare mandates that a certain portion of your premium must go towards actually medical care, making it difficult for insurers to raise premiums willy-nilly. But the allegation that premiums have gone up $100s of dollars because of Obamacare? Prove it.

– Cruz then, incredibly, claims that seniors are losing their health care, being kicked off their health plans, because of Obamacare. So seniors are being kicked off of Medicare because of Obamacare? Um, no. Seniors still have Medicare, no thanks to Ted Cruz and the Tea Party. It’s Cruz’s Tea Party Republicans who admitted this week that one of their goals behind the government shutdown was cutting Medicare.

It’s difficult to enumerate all the ways in which Cruz continues to harm the Republican party. First off, a few days ago, even the Tea Partyers started changing their tune, and stopped even mentioning health care reform as the reason behind their government shutdown. They did this because the polls were so bad – people simply didn’t support shutting down the government, even if those same people didn’t like the Affordable Care Act. But not Cruz, he’s back to making it all about Obamacare.

Cruz goes on in his speech tonight to lament that the Senate Republicans didn’t hold together and help the House Republicans keep the government shut down and force a debt default tomorrow.

The man is nuts.

He wants to be president, and that’s why he’s doing this. But he’s nuts. And dangerous. He’s the worst kind of populist. He doesn’t care what damage his policies inflict on people, he simply wants to be president, and he’s willing to curry favor with the worst elements of the GOP Tea Party fringe in the hopes that they’ll give him the edge he needs to get the Republican presidential nomination.

But then what? The guy is a nut. And he seems to have a penchant for showing it. He’s never going to win the general election in 2016 unless the Democrats run Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as their candidate. And while the Democrats sometimes do seem to have a political death wish, they’ve got nothing on Ted Cruz.

Ted Cruz finished his speech tonight by claiming that he’s “inspired” because the American people are rising up.

John AravosisFollow me on Twitter: @aravosis | @americablog | @americabloggay | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn. John Aravosis is the editor of AMERICAblog, which he founded in 2004. He has a joint law degree (JD) and masters in Foreign Service from Georgetown (1989); and worked in the US Senate, World Bank, Children's Defense Fund, and as a stringer for the Economist. Frequent TV pundit: O'Reilly Factor, Hardball, World News Tonight, Nightline & Reliable Sources. Bio, article archive.

Quote: ” I believe that our system will shortly collapse. Sooner the better… … In light of all my bs, I have convinced myself that we need to increase the debt more. Significantly more. That will make the system collapse even faster. This will then allow a new restart with the basic principles of our system re-enabled.”

Yawn. On exhibit here, ladies and gents is the true nihilism of the treason party. “Burn it all down!. Who gives a fack how many tens of thousands are destroyed in the process? I got mine and fack everyone else!”

I am hoping that in your personal case it is just a tantrum, in the face of a political setback, but I fear this is a common sentiment among the treason partiers.

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

You got that exactly right.

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

“Life isn’t intended to be a bunch of people bitching about stuff they can’t do anything about anyway.” Ever hear of advocacy, protest, democracy? Maybe if you gave your ass a rest and hung around you might learn something here.

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

People who use a bunch of words and put them together are generally known as literate.

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

AB is a random site?

Whitewitch

Is that what this conversation has devolved too…is that the best you can do. You are winning so you throw ugly words? Well done you.

Whitewitch

It is always funny to me that people who have hate project it onto others. I think I have been very civil. The problem I find it people who are so right leaning – go to a clearly left leaning blog to school us and then get really mad when it doesn’t work out.

You see, as you are allowed to view the world through your eyes – so am I. I wish you safe journeys.

Whitewitch

Oh no thank you…

lynchie

Well if it was your perspective I would appreciate but your talking points came in an email offering you 50 cents to post your shit. So back off or show links to prove your lies

lynchie

Hey I like my old Gremlin it had classy lines.

Dr80ew .

Thanks for your comments. :) Talk is cheap. So are words. And you can still kiss my ass, I can always send you a picture to make sure its clean. Life isn’t intended to be a bunch of people bitching about stuff they can’t do anything about anyway.

lynchie

oh shove that old canard of Reverend Wright up your arse. This site is more critical of Obama than you know. Go back and get your 50 cents for posting here. If you post some more you can get a cookie.

HEY MOM……..MEATLOAF!

lynchie

Well what else would they say. “we are cocksuckers who don’t give a shit if you live or die and now is a good opportunity to fuck you and your family”. You sound just like the TP we don’t want to pay taxes cause someone else might benefit but we want our Medicare and SS and by the way the minorities and the gays caused it all. Grow up and do a little reading and stop listening to Fox and Rush. Amazingly there is life outside of your mommies basement.

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

Whitewitch will not turn you back into a real boy. A toad you stay!

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

My guess is that your ass requires a HazMat team and is the last place any of us would wish to plant a kiss—a boot maybe.

Dr80ew .

Good job Whitewitch. You are a liberal. The right way for everyone to live.

Dr80ew .

LOL, I love how you people think you are smarter when you use a bunch of words and put them together. My bad, you guys are right about everything. Sorry. KISS MY ASS.

lynchie

Don’t blame ACA blame Walmart. The ACA is just an excuse.

Dr80ew .

“If you have hate in your heart, let it out.” Dave Chapelle

Wallpack

Ted Cruz has singly managed to get a significant number ignorant people to pay attention to the real facts about spending and the affordable (yah right) health care act. If you think that real conservatives back the republicans you need to get off of the weed. Conservatives has been begging for a real true conservative for years. We are a Constitutional Republic. A Democracy leads to mob rule while a Republic protects individual rights. History will show that this country is going the way of Rome. When the masses can vote for leaders who give away the farm the system stops working. I believe that our system will shortly collapse. Sooner the better. When it happens, I’m sure that you liberals will still be begging for something or feeling it is still owed to you. In light of all my bs, I have convinced myself that we need to increase the debt more. Significantly more. That will make the system collapse even faster. This will then allow a new restart with the basic principles of our system re-enabled.

Whitewitch

Hmmm that is a tough one for sure….you sure he is not a Thing! Nahh it is Pinto – explosive at the wrong time (especially when hit in the rear).

Whitewitch

Good job karmanot…..

Whitewitch

President Obama is not my beloved. I held my nose and voted for what I thought was the lessor of two evils. In my mind the President is a Reagan Republican and would like to see the end of Social Security and is helping Corporations rule our country. So save you BS for another poster.

Also, I am not a guy.

Lastly, any affiliation, IMHO, with anyone of the religious persuasion is a bad sign for a politician. They probably don’t even actually practice Christianity, because if they did they would not feel good about starving the poor.

You of course show your hand by referring to the President as Barack Hussein Obama rather than President or President Obama.

So although you know I am right that your Company took advantage of the PRO-Corporate climate – you will still look for a scapegoat – rather than doing something about the true evil in this country – Corporations!

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

Oh please……. I truly hope you are not a real Doctor.

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

Or a Pinto

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

5-4-3-2-1 Rev. Wright, socialism, fetuses, Benghazi, ultra sound, Obama the Muslim etc and so on. Well Mr. I think this comment by you pretty much sums up your trollitude:

“And Obama is a power hungry, socialist who is in the process of watering
down this country with his liberal ways. The “majority” of People
voted for him the first time because of his color, they couldn’t give a
rats butt what he believed in.
Wow, democrats get mad whenever someone has a different perspective.”

gene grossman

I’m thinking of opening up a new comedy club here in Los Angeles, and have decided to name it ‘Congress.’

It would be a lot like its namesake, because I’d give free admission to the press on the couple of evenings each week when he have an ‘open mic’ night and allow any off-the-wall aspiring comedian to get up on the stage and do whatever crazy routine he’s been working on.

My only concern is that news coverage of my competition – the real Congress – would overshadow my open-mic guys, because having not been paid for their performance, and unlike real Congressmen, my performers are not yet professionally crazy.

I didn’t realize people were so full of hatred. And they sure aren’t scared of expressing it on a website with a bunch of strangers. Look regardless of what party you vote for, we are all american here. Why and how did it get so divided?

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

“America was established, to be able to think freely.” That’s absolutely true. Even morons are able to think freely. However, the version of the founding fathers version of ‘free thought’ is called critical reasoning.

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

Yep, Hillary, she of the WAL*MART board fame.

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

As much as I dislike political Hills, if we get a majority in the House and Senate, she will know how to govern, making Obama’s pathetic incompetence even more evident.

http://adgitadiaries.com/ karmanot

They are not only nuts but traitors out to destroy the government.

Dr80ew .

Congress reminds me of the old World Wrestling Federation days.
Thanks for your comments.

Dr80ew .

I am sure they took advantage of it. But it seems you guys try to blame everyone else before your beloved Barack Hussein Obama.
Hes just the greatest guy isn’t he? Try looking up his relationship with Rev. Wright.

Dr80ew .

So now America is communist? What the hell are you on? And btw, they voted for him the second time because Mitt Romney wasn’t “appealing” enough to the american people. Generally, it was a close election.
And your comments about anything don’t matter to me. You sound like a very mad person. Thanks for being an asshole.

Dr80ew .

Shhhh. Be Quiet little guy.

Dr80ew .

You sound like a nice guy. Maybe cheer up alittle bit instead of surfing the web and harassing people.

Dr80ew .

LOL. I don’t blame anything on politicians. This is actually the first time I have ever commented on a random site.
And lets not get personal here. Who are you to judge whats right and wrong?
You seem like a real card, especially with your screen name.

Dr80ew .

BLAH BLAH BLAH. :)

http://www.newmillgay.com/ The_Fixer

As a certain half-term ex-governor is fond of saying, “You Betcha”. And it was funded by the Koch brothers.

It was also planned from the beginning of Obama’s term. Right as he was being sworn in.

http://www.newmillgay.com/ The_Fixer

Yeah, something like that :)

nra_pussies

lol you’re so transparent. we laugh at guys like you. your hurt America – you know this right ?

nra_pussies

How pathetic that you blame Obama for splitting the country. Look in the mirror fool. Your anger and hate and blatant racism has split the country – we saw you coming and we beat you – easily.

We bathe in your tears.

nra_pussies

Here is where we laugh at you. America has been a socialist country for DECADES – are you that dim? And the MAJORITY of the country voted for him the second time too – whats your point ? lol

I should add – so you are happy to pay for the care of the uninsured through your taxes as opposed to them buying their own private health insurance? Because thats what you are doing right now – and if you agree with that then that makes you……a socialist.

Man you right wingers are so easy to beat.

nra_pussies

So because its happening with a small percentage of companies (low life companies I might add) then it’s happening to the entire country? Nice try but we are smart around here.

You talk like companies haven’t taken advantage of loopholes to get around paying extra before – these are low life companies and they will soon suffer a brain drain because all the quality staff will goto quality jobs. All of the crap jobs – well, you didn’t get healthcare in those jobs ANYWAY – but now you can buy it WITH govt subsidies as if its a crap job then its low paid etc etc – all these things that the Republicans love

Remember the ACA is a compromise by the REPUBLICANS – You reap what you sow.

nra_pussies

most AWFUL jobs are part time sure – perhaps you should have gotten yourself a decent education so you can get an actual real job instead of blaming your whoes on the govt?

Typical Republican

Ron Robertson

Sounds like your employer is an ass. Sorry you have to work for someone like that. What really should have happened was single payer. Health costs would have plummeted, and insurance companies would be cut down to size. But, we got this hybrid system, yet even with that, health care costs have gone down here in California from my looking through the costs available to me personally.

Whitewitch

None really – too many agree with him there. As for Basenjis – now that is a dog anyone can love. I have B mix and she is a rocking yodeler!!!

PeteWa

the part time new job trend is hardly new.
and your employer lied to you.

Whitewitch

I would not take the word of my employer in this regard. Many corporations are using this new law as a excuse to take away from the workers. It is as it has been always – they want you to riled up and blames someone other than them for cutting back (and probably hoping you will get the 40 hours of work you used to do done in 29). I have been working a very long time, and during the downturn in 2008, our employer did not give us a raise and in fact cut some salaries – yet at the end of the year the bosses all got HUGE payouts…oh and we were encouraged to “prove we wanted to keep our jobs by working harder”.

So don’t buy it my friend.

Whitewitch

Oh no a Birther in our mist. Ahhhh run.

Dr80ew .

My employer SPECIFICALLY told me back in APRIL, that they had to cut everyone back due to the new law (obamacare), so they were getting ready for it before it went into effect. Sure maybe they are jumping the gun. But this is what is realistically happening due to the changes.
A large percentage of new jobs are part time, actually almost ALL new jobs are part time nowadays. You will find different percentages on different sites. But I am sure you cannot deny that the rule will (atleast for now) destroy the 40 hour work week. I guess I need to get two part time jobs now while I go to school. Hmmm..

Whitewitch

Thanks Bill…from your fingers to the voters ears!

Whitewitch

I agree Lynchie…surely there is someone else the party could run. I don’t want another quasi-Reagan as President. I would like a true, dedicated Democrat that would care about the people and work to make this a better Country – rather than turning us into a Corporate owned entity with minimum wage jobs (when they can be found).

Ron Robertson

Yes, Cruz does have the right to speak whatever floats through his head. And you’re right about how idiotic it is for right-wingers to claim they’re being censored when instead they’re being criticized, they are not interchangeable words. I still doubt he has any beliefs, other than the belief he should have political power.

Ron Robertson

It’s possible he can’t run, I’ve read varying analyses about that, so in this instance, you may or may not be correct.

As far as your job cut, that doesn’t make much of a case. Were you specifically told your hours were cut because of that, or is that just your assumption? Why would they cut it now, when the law doesn’t take effect until next year, and if I’m not mistaken, the employer mandate doesn’t take effect until year after next. Sounds more like either you work for an idiot, or you’re misinformed.

Dr80ew .

People that act like Ted Cruz are a reflection of this great leadership in this country.
(Said with major sarcasm).

Dr80ew .

Hes a United States Senator. Regardless what you say or others say, hes there and you can’t do anything about it. Have a good day and try not to rip anyone’s head off that doesn’t agree with you.

Dr80ew .

Never said that, simply saying he has a right to speak. And everyone is entitled to their “opinion”. I agree with his argument but obviously it changed nothing. I get it.
Obama has split this country probably the most it has been since the CSA and the union were going at it. He sucks, Pelosi sucks, Reid sucks. And Bidens probably banging his secretary. Who cares.

Dr80ew .

And Obama is a power hungry, socialist who is in the process of watering down this country with his liberal ways. The “majority” of People voted for him the first time because of his color, they couldn’t give a rats butt what he believed in.
Wow, democrats get mad whenever someone has a different perspective.

Dr80ew .

You say hes talking to give power to himself so he can run for president?

He was born in Canada, so he can’t even run. Try again.

And everything he says about ObamaCare is true, because I had my job cut to 29 or less hours a week. Man, I guess thats just a coincidence.

Chef Kowalski

Yes, Cruz has a right to speak his beliefs. And everyone else has a right when they think those beliefs are idiotic to answer in kind. I’m tired of people on the far political right who believe that any time people disagree with them they are trying to censor them. In the market of ideas, you should expect debate. Cruz spoke his beliefs and the public is overwhelming yelling back “Nonsense!” Based on his 10-minute tirade, one can conclude that if Cruz were an automobile, he’d be an AMC Gremlin.

Bill_Perdue

It’s a well earned attack.

She’s a right wing religious bigot who supported DOMA and waited until the last minute to rebrand.

Most of the citations in my comments are from Obama supporters. Argue with then and then tell me why you think a mad dog warmonger and Wal-Mart sockpuppet like like Hillary Clinton is worthy of even one vote.

Next time prove why you think shes not a right wing thug complicit in the torture of Chelsea Manning, a religious nut and etc. Or, if you have no proof, just admit it.

chris10858

One thing I wish the news media would concentrate on today is the fact that over 100 House and Senate Republicans voted last night AGAINST raising the debt ceiling and opening the government back up for business today.

What alternative plan did they have if the vote had failed? It seems to me that Cruz and his bunch were pushing to have American fall off of the financial cliff and default on our debts, causing not only financial catastrophe here in the US but also cause other world markets to falter.

I can’t help but think the Tea Party had its eyes set on a scorched earth policy whereby they had some end-times notion they would rebuild America like a Phoenix… to rise out of the ashes. They are just nuts… and pretty darn un-American, IMHO.

GreenEagle

“concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong”

I guess you were just trying to illustrate that with your completely irrelevant and gratuitous attack on Hillary, huh?

Ron Robertson

Actually, Dr80ew, I believe your premise isn’t even correct. He’s not standing up for anything he believes, except in more power to himself. He has no principles, he has no ideas, he just spouts stuff he thinks will sound good to give him the presidential nomination. There are no ideas he has to agree with. So, nothing to applaud or bless, just a power-mad goon.

No, I will not applaud his effort nor do I agree with his “ideas” because they have nothing to do with any legitimate political process. His is a rabble rousing charlatan who thinks the sun shines out his ass. Such people should be removed from power.

lynchie

And what are those accomplishments?

http://www.newmillgay.com/ The_Fixer

Much as I agree, it seems that the only kind of Dem that’ll get elected is just the kind of you describe.

Why? Because they’re the only ones who can attract the ridiculous amounts of money required to run in this horrible political environment.

The only way to change that is publicly financed campaigns, and restoration of the fairness doctrine. Fat chance of either thing happening, though. Guess who holds the reins of power?

lynchie

So you believe the minority view should rule the country? Horseshit that is why there are elections. The left won, reelected Obama and you lost. Get over it.

lynchie

Why Hillary? Haven’t we had enough of GOP lite? I would rather say it ensures a
Dem in the WH but not war monger, corporate owned, 1% entitled Hillary.

http://www.newmillgay.com/ The_Fixer

Yes, it is. But not with certain backgrounds. Makes my eyes hurt.

But to the content – I’ve often thought that there possibly might have been a character named Jesus in the old world, kind of a hippie-ish dude. But if he existed, he probably was more of a David Blaine kind of an illusionist rather than a miracle worker.

He wasn’t a god, because, well, gods don’t exist. The bible is bullshit. My beliefs, Christianist trolls needn’t bother arguing with me about this. It’ll do no good to try and “save” me.

Bill_Perdue

Hot pink is good.

http://www.newmillgay.com/ The_Fixer

:)

Although I agree with most of the info of that site(at least what I could bear reading), could they possibly have made it any more assaultive in terms of design?

People who support the lesser evil usually get what they voted for. If you support Hillary Clinton you’d be supporting a Dixiecrat and a racist. She helped launch the racist wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and supports the violently racist zionist bunkerstadt.

In addition Hillary Clinton played the race card against Obama every chance she got.

“Hillary Struggles Against Sexism But Regularly Plays Race Card – In the face of raw, media-driven misogyny, Clinton resorts to playing the race card and loses some women’s support in the process. “Yet what is most troubling is that the Clinton campaign has used her rival’s race against him. In the name of demonstrating her superior “electability,” she and her surrogates

have invoked the racist and sexist playbook of the right… seeking to define Obama as too black, too foreign, too different to be President… the Clinton campaign’s use of this strategy has many non-white and non-mainstream feminists crying foul. … the statement was widely read as chalking up Obama’s win to his blackness alone and thus attempting to marginalize him as a doomed minority candidate with limited appeal. Obama was now “the black candidate,” in the words of one Clinton strategist quoted by the AP.” http://www.thenation.com/article/race-bottom-0

The racist theme begun by Bill Clinton in South Carolina was doubled down in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, this time by Hillary Clinton. “Clinton: Obama Not Winning Over “Hard-Working Americans, White Americans” “I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on,” she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article “that found how Sen. Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/08/clinton-obama-not-winning_n_100763.html

http://www.newmillgay.com/ The_Fixer

I do not applaud his effort.

He is a stain on any public officeholder. He is not smart. He can think as freely as he wants. The problem is when he puts his rock-headed notions into practice.

Through his efforts, our military readiness has suffered (you don’t think that having all of those DoD workers furloughed didn’t come with a price? Think again). Our prestige, in both the political and financial arenas has suffered.

One man’s snit, and fools like you who supported him, came dangerously close to bringing on an economic calamity unseen since the Great Depression.

Ted Cruz is a very foolish person and so are you.

HeartlandLiberal

Cruz is doing a great job of insuring that Hillary Clinton will be the first woman elected to office of POTUS in a couple of years. I hope he keeps it up. Mainly as a constant reminder to the voters of how batsh*t crazy and destructive the GOP has become; and because it will keep the Democratic committees fundraising machine going full steam for the next twelve months into the election. $DEITY knows I am getting emails every day from senate and house committees making hay off this crisis. And I encourage them to keep it up, and keep the pressure on until next November, and take back a majority in the House, and hold on to a majority in the Senate.

I have withheld donations since the last election, because Obama and Democrats caved every time. But given they finally stood firm, and I hope will continue to do so, I will contribute again to both committees for senate and house candidates.

Bill_Perdue

From the point of view of the left, which does not include Democrats, the nomination
of Hillary Clinton, a hard right, union busting, pro-war Dixiecrat with a mean streak of ignorant, superstitious religious bigotry is an excellent way to point the utter insanity of the theory of the lesser evil.

“Clinton served on Wal-Mart’s board of directors for six years when her husband was governor of Arkansas. And the Rose Law Firm, where she was a partner, handled many of the Arkansas-based company’s legal affairs.”http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0312-01.htm

David Nassar of the AFL-CIO’s Wal-Mart Watch said “We respectfully disagree with former President Clinton’s characterization of Wal-Mart as a benign, benevolent corporation striving for self-improvement either during Sen. Clinton’s tenure on the board or at present…” and “while
we don’t have any insight into what Sen. Clinton advocated for while on the board of Wal-Mart, we do know that Wal-Mart has made no meaningful progress regarding the company’s poor business practices, including gender discrimination, low wages, inadequate health care, overseas sourcing or environmental degradation…” http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=4183757&page=1

The Clintons are subsidized by Wal-Mart and other .01%ers through their ‘contributions’ to the Clinton Foundation. It’s the corporations way of saying thank you for NAFTA, DOMA, DADT and deregulation.

Hillary Clinton played the race card against Obama every chance she got.

“Hillary Struggles Against Sexism But Regularly Plays Race Card – In the face of raw, media-driven misogyny, Clinton resorts to playing the race card and loses some women’s support in the process. “Yet what is most troubling is that the Clinton campaign has used her rival’s race against him. In the name of demonstrating her superior “electability,” she and her surrogates
have invoked the racist and sexist playbook of the right… seeking to define Obama as too black, too foreign, too different to be President… the Clinton campaign’s use of this strategy has many non-white and non-mainstream feminists crying foul. … the statement was widely read as chalking up Obama’s win to his blackness alone and thus attempting to marginalize him as a doomed minority candidate with limited appeal. Obama was now “the black candidate,” in the words of one Clinton strategist quoted by the AP.” http://www.thenation.com/article/race-bottom-0

The racist theme begun by Bill Clinton in South Carolina was doubled down in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, this time by Hillary Clinton. “Clinton: Obama Not Winning Over “Hard-Working Americans, White Americans” “I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on,” she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article “that found how Sen. Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/08/clinton-obama-not-winning_n_100763.html

Hillary Clinton learned about ‘labor relations’ when she spent years on the Board of
Drirectors of Wall Mart. She’ll bust unions just like Bill Clinton, Bush and Obama.

Hillary Clinton is a hard right religious nut case. “Hillary’s Prayer: Hillary Clinton’s Religion and Politics For 15 years, Hillary Clinton has been part of a secretive religious group that seeks to bring Jesus back to Capitol Hill. Is she triangulating—or living her faith?”“In fact, Clinton’s God talk is more complicated—and more deeply rooted—than either fans or foes would have it, a revelation not just of her determination to out-Jesus the gop, but of the powerful religious strand in her own politics. … Through all of her years in Washington, Clinton has been an active participant in conservative Bible study and prayer circles that are part of a secretive
Capitol Hill group known as the Fellowship.”http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2007/09/hillarys-prayer-hillary-clintons-religion-and-politics

discus_sucks_ass

Dum Quixote

Monoceros Forth

I don’t give a toss for what a demagogue “believes is right” if it’s a heap of nonsense–and that’s assuming he believes any of his crap in the first place.

Cruz may or may not be a psychopath. But he is sociopath and well on his way to being a a fascist.

He’s utilizing the big lie technique. The predecessor of the CIA , the OSS, described Hitlers use of the technique as “His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it. (Wiki) Later they used the same technique to justify the American genocides in Vietnam and Iraq.

Not all of them are fascists but most of them, like Hillary Clinton, are enablers of anti-LGBT bigotry, racism, union busting, austerity and all of them are obsequious political lap dogs of the rich.

Duke Woolworth

He gets this from his father, who’s even crazier. Ted’s the moderate in the familty.

Dr80ew .

Funny how a man stands up for what he believes is right and people throw rocks and right him off. This is how America was established, to be able to think freely. You might not agree with his ideas, but applaud his effort. God Bless Mr. Cruz.

Tom Mingmitmee

Don Quixote.

HelenRainier

Ed Meese also had his slimy hands on all of this.

ckg1

Canada doesn’t want him. Mainly because Stephen Harper would tell him to know his role and shut his mouth.

BillFromDover

I come not to bury myself, but to praise me!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDXYUJ41Mho Phaerisee

If this is like the George Costanza episode on Seinfeld where everything is opposite then this is a great Republican victory.

FunMe

Can we say Ted (the KOCH whore) helped himself showcase himself as the crazy loser along with his so-called political party? He sure showed his state of being a LUNATIC. How many times has he gone to his psychiatric state of mind. LOL

http://www.newmillgay.com/ The_Fixer

I dunno. I may be wrong, but I think you guys may be giving him a little more credit than he deserves.

I know he graduated summa cum laude (Yale, I think) and his professor, Alan Derschowitz, called him an “excellent student”. But one thing – a person can have the excellent memory required for passing a bar exam and still have no logical or analytical thinking skills. Evidence that Alan Derschowitz just today said that he was all wet, constitutionally speaking. He also lost his only case before the Supreme Court. Spectacularly, too.

An excellent memory, that big ego combined with wingnut welfare, and you have the typical Republican recipe for success in their world. But not the real one, where people actually can think their way out of a paper bag.

Oh, no doubt he is a sociopath (but not a very skilled one). I really don’t think he’s got the capability to think very well on his feet. Listen to that speech – he’s all over the place and all he knows how to do is to spout pet phrases that are calculated to get an emotional response. He’ll go far with the extreme right, but I really doubt he’ll go any further politically than Texas Senator. And if he messes up any more, even they will throw him out. Especially if Texas gets more liberal (and I think the trend is going that way).

That’s not to say that anyone should ignore him. His only chance of getting anywhere is if people ignore him. But I think he’ll be pretty easy to expose as a dullard in the coming months.

I hope that I’m right about that :)

mf_roe

Cruz wasn’t about to sit down and shut up, that would make it look like he was defeated. His only option was to wrap himself in the cloak of the battered warrior vowing to “Never Give Up”. Those who follow Cruz are even more likely to do his bidding at this point because he is among the Repugs who choose to ignore their failure to accomplish their stated goals. Rallying the resentful losers will go a long way toward cementing Cruz’s place as the next Great Hope for the Rabid Right.

http://www.newmillgay.com/ The_Fixer

The Bullshit is strong in this one.

As I sit here listening, I am struck by a few things. First, he says “This deal embodies everything that frustrates Americans about the Washington establishment.”

This man is living in an alternate reality, and wilfully ignoring all the polls that have been taken since this whole ridiculousness started. This is clearly a speech intended for his TEA-party base, and not for Americans who have any thought process whatsoever. He’s telling his base what they want to hear. He thinks that it will insure him re-electability in the next cycle. He certainly won’t become president, for two reasons (his overall craziness and his lack of being born in this country). Perhaps Texans will re-elect him. But in the meantime, he is going to be regarded as a total whack job by the rest of the country. He will wind up being impotent and laughed at. Texans should ask themselves: Do you really want to be regarded as the state that elected a joke?

His claims and emotional appeals about “Obamacare”, in addition to being outright lies, are unproven as the PPACA has not gone into effect yet. His message is confused; he tells Senators not to vote for this bill, yet predicts that it will pass by a large margin. He also mentions that “millions of Americans” rose up and signed a petition. I missed that – probably because it was likely less that “millions” and was probably more like a bunch of his TEA party constituents signing the petition. Keep in mind that even 2 million people signing a petition, if true, is a far cry from the 300+ million people in this country.

He goes on in an exercise of wishful thinking – “the Senate Republicans standing with the House Republicans and the American People” against the horrors of “Obamacare”. What person with a jellyfied brain could imagine that it would be wise to shut down the government over something that, by and large, the American people find no problem with once they know what it’ll do?

Then he contradicts himself and says that the American people directed their ire unjustly at Republicans, while they stood up to “Obamacare”. He outright lies in saying that Americans were rising up to protest it.

Then he talks about a “path forward”. He claims “Washington is broken”. I might remind him that he had a huge hand in it.

He then tries an appeal to emotional – complete with the term “Washington Establishment” and the phrase “Rise Up!” – based totally on lies.

This guy tries to be a riveting public speaker. But in order to do that, you have to be consistent, coherent and substantive. He is none of those.

He winds up making as much sense as someone who has a developmental disorder.

usagi

I’d certainly like to hear who is another possible front-runner at this moment. That’s certainly subject to rapid change, but yes, that was him setting up not to have to run against a dozen people for a year and half before taking on (for the sake of argument) Hillary (again, if there’s another front-runner, I’m listening).

FLL

Cruz is a bit reminiscent of George W. Bush, but the comparison is very incomplete. People have compared Cruz to George W. Bush with a brain, but it goes well beyond that. Not only does Cruz have a brain, he’s also a very talented demagogue. Even worse, as much as I never could stand George W. Bush, Cruz has a genuine psychotic streak that I never noticed in George W.

Monoceros Forth

During these last two weeks of madness, Cruz acted as though he were already operating with the authority of a one-party Republican dictatorship, willing to send the American and global economy into a new depression if his demands were not met. And this is when Cruz only represents a faction of the minority party in the Senate.

Well said. The Republicans have a peculiar genius for striking an authoritative posture; I’m reminded of how Bush Jr., starting his presidency in 2001 under a cloud and without a true popular mandate, nevertheless charged in and acted like he owned the place–and it worked! And that was a mush-mouthed idiot getting away with playing king of the world. Imagine what a forcible demagogue could do.

CNN’s interruption to give air time to Cruz is very telling and one reason why I said earlier that this might be Cruz’s “moment”. It shows that the press is already disposed to regard Cruz as a natural leader, rising to the occasion and taking charge. The stage has already been set.

FLL

You’re quite right. When a political ideology involves replacing rational thought with the hatred of designated enemy groups in your own country, that ideology becomes similar to a religion. Just like a religion, it justifies anything on the basis of faith alone; any support for your argument is unnecessary and irrelevant. Cruz is Southern Baptist, and his behavior during the debt ceiling crisis seemed influenced by apocalyptic thinking. He really acts like the kind of demagogue who would drag the rest of the world off the cliff.

mf_roe

Zilch

mf_roe

Cruz doesn’t seek to inform, his goal is to sell a viewpoint. Think of him as a TV Evangelist selling a belief not a program with a rational structure. People believe all sorts of ridiculous things, usually because that belief makes them feel special. Religious Zealots.Sports Fans, Racial Bigots, Straight ticket Voters, are all examples of believing a self-serving fallacy.

Many will follow Cruz not because of his “Facts” but because he tells his followers that the failure of our government is due to the actions of “Others”. Telling Americans that it’s not their fault usually works great.

basenjilover

What are the chances Texas may recall Crazy Cruz?

Bomer

In all my work experience I never was a salaried employee. I was always hired as either a temp, or as an hourly worker. No health benefits, no vacation time, no sick leave, no retirement, nada. I either showed up for work, or I didn’t get paid (or I got fired). It’s great when you show up to work sick or, like I did once, after a car accident when I couldn’t lift my arms at all (I could bend my elbows at the waist, but that was it) and be told “You shouldn’t be here. You should be home.” Yeah, that’s true but if I’m at home I’m not getting paid for those days and I kind of need that money for things like food and rent.

Dave of the Jungle

I’m looking forward to the Presidents remarks, tomorrow. I want to hear the Constitutional scholar give it to them.

http://heimaey.us/ heimaey

Denial just ain’t a river in Egypt.

mf_roe

America doesn’t have a dysfunctional government, it has a hypocritical government, our rulers are very effective in delivering the goods to the true powers at the expense of the deluded masses.

FLL

After listening to his speech, I was aware of the limitations of fact checking. You can certainly refute his points with fact checking, but Cruz infuses his lies with so much emotion and conviction that those lies take on a life of their own. This is the way all demagogues operate, and Cruz is a very talented one. Listen to his speech carefully, and you will note that he repeatedly refers to the Senate Republicans standing with the House Republicans. He never once acknowledges the existence of Americans outside the Republican Party. I wonder what fate Cruz thinks that Americans outside the Republican Party deserve? Before you answer that question, watch his cold, calculating stare while he rages at the podium.

During this last two weeks of madness, Cruz acted as though he was operating with the authority of a one-party Republican dictatorship, willing to send the American and global economy into a new depression if his demands were not met. And this is when Cruz only represents a faction of the minority party in the Senate. Can you imagine what he might be capable of with more power than the very limited power he has now, with his finger on the nuclear button? The time to stop this madman is now, not belatedly in the spring of 2016 when Cruz leads the Republican field or in the summer of 2016 when the Democratic candidate is fighting to stay afloat. Countries have been swayed by talented demagogues like this before. All I can say is show the country what this man is, and do it early and often. Preparation is key, and after a speech like this, no one can say that they weren’t warned in advance.

mf_roe

Democracy is imperfect. One of its most damaging flaws is that the less intelligent are easy to manipulate, especially for demagogs ready to lie. Cruz plans to bamboozle the rubes and rally the selfish jerks who resent the government providing services for the needy. Sadly, that’s a pretty big base. I don’t think Cruz should be discounted as a very real threat, think of his as W. with a brain and he doesn’t seem so laughable.

Hue-Man

I’m trying to figure out what it says about the USA that PBS Newshour had PM Enrico Letta on tonight to comment on the Cruz-inspired shutdown and near default. He’s the leader of one of the most dysfunctional Western governments in the post-WW II period (Belgium has recently been vying for the “honor”). It reminds me of that famous definition which includes: “The British are the chefs…The Swiss are the lovers…The Italians make everything run on time…”

mf_roe

Obama isn’t the man most of the people who voted for him believed he was, BUT he is a very capable politician and in this fiasco he hardly had to do a thing, by allowing the Repugs to act the fool and making sure their actions were widely viewed as destructive he just kept handing them more rope. Sadly, I expect him to use his strengthened status to continue to achieve the same type of destruction of our social support systems as Cruz. Obama is a right wing corporatist and Cruz’s actions just camouflage that fact.

emjayay

His obsession with the ACA is indeed bizarre. And like the post said, all of his big points are mostly bogus. He does have a point with the way employers can weasel out of the requirement of providing health insurance to workers by making them all part time. But guess what, national emplloyers of low wage workers like Home Depot and WalMart were already doing that and there is no law to stoop them.

pappyvet

lest we forget

innocent bystander

Billary in the klight house?

lilyannerose

It was bottom line stupid. Obama had no skin in the game, no re-election heat to be concerned about. He had nothing to do but wait them out.

http://buddybest.tripod.com/index.html BuddyNovinski

It’s close to what I was going to write. Liberals left the Republicans in the New Deal. Moderates are in danger. As a converse of Nietzsche, as long as Reagan is worshiped, he is a god. The only way to kill a god is to stop worshiping him! For amusement, I listen to Limpback and the rest of Squawk Radio just to avoid their advertisers.

http://buddybest.tripod.com/index.html BuddyNovinski

especially as big as they are in Texas (Lyndon Johnson must be spinning in his grave. At least he had results and could take a piece of the action.)

nicho

The are a lot of things to despise Ted Cruz for, but putiing Killary in the Blight House could be the worst.

http://buddybest.tripod.com/index.html BuddyNovinski

No, Sam I Am I could not and would not like Ted Cruz snooze in bed!

Dave of the Jungle

CBS News reported tonight that this entire debacle was engineered by someone at the Heritage Foundation.

Monoceros Forth

Indeed. I think we’ve just seen that moment that often occurs in contemporary American politics by which a politician who might otherwise seem an unlikely candidate for the presidency suddenly jumps to the forefront and becomes the anointed man of destiny. For Obama his big moment was his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. For Bush le Petit it was his conclave with George Shultz and his “Vulcans” in 1998 from which he inexplicably emerged a serious candidate, indeed the only serious candidate.

http://www.rebeccamorn.com/mind BeccaM

Then there’s the Joseph Goebbels lesson…

http://www.rebeccamorn.com/mind BeccaM

Maybe they dumped him here, the same way Nevada has been shipping its mentally ill to California and Oregon.

Ninong

Have the Republicans learned anything from this debacle or will they sign up for another Carnival Cruz adventure? John Boehner is such an incredibly weak speaker I doubt he will do anything differently between now and January.

Jim Olson

I say, let’s be sure to give Ted Cruz all the air time he wants.

Indigo

As Jerry Garcia is allege to have said, “The lesser of two evils is still evil.” In that spirit, I’m not ready to support Hillary for president but if Cruz keeps up this nonsense, I might come around to Hillary’s camp, not because I like Hillary but because the Canadian Madman is that dangerous.

Dave of the Jungle

Beware of self appointed messiah figures who think the sun shines out their ass.

Leota2

Wow. Just wow.

usagi

This. A thousand times.
See also digby’s recent posts about premature victory laps.
I’m reminded of Rand Paul’s little speech about how the ADA had gone too far when he was running for the Senate. Everyone wrote his epitaph, and we all know how that ended up working out.
There are a lot of people, especially those near to Hillary Clinton, who should start acting like Ted Cruz is about 10 points up in the polls on October 1, 2016, because if they don’t start now, we may find ourselves there in just under 1100 days.

hawkj68

WTF??? Why do we even give this guy a second of our time? He’s clearly delusional.

Ramon Nieves

Hillary Clinton if she decides to run doesn’t need any help from the likes of that arrogant egotistical POS. It will take away from her and her accomplishments just to mention his name in anything having to do with her. The man is an idiot, a lose cannon, and a dangerous nut case.

Monoceros Forth

For Democrats, Ted Cruz is the goose that keeps laying golden eggs over and over and over.

I can’t be that optimistic. Yes, to us, it looks like Cruz is making a bloody fool of himself, but right now an army of right-wing wackos on a hundred other forums have gone all cross-eyed and moist over Cruz’s fiery declaration of “conservative principles”. There’s this, too: declare yourself a success often enough and there’s a chance people will start believing it. Just look at Donald Trump.

PEW states: “In the current survey, just 27% of moderate and liberal Republicans have a favorable impression of the Tea Party, down from 46% in June.”

There are no moderates or liberals in the Republican party. And damn few in the democratic party. 30+ years of Reagan worship, talk radio, and a “liberal press” unwilling to call out Republicans for their lies has seen to that.

In a lifetime of following the right, I want to say that this is one of the most frightening spectacles I have ever seen. I don’t know how much of this stew of lies Ted Cruz really believes, but either way- deluded true believer or demagogue, this is a true psychopath. We can only be thankful that he has given the leaders of his own party such a scare that they will never trust him again.